COLLEGE CONSIDERS BOND GROWTH, NEW RULES ADD PRESSURE TO BUILD.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley College officials are considering asking voters to approve a general obligation bond, possibly for as much as $118 million, to finance campus construction projects.

Saying they are pushed by enrollment growth and changes in state rules that give districts with local financing an advantage, AVC officials said Friday they are looking at putting a bond issue before voters in the November election.

``We're looking at a general obligation bond to meet our needs for classrooms, labs and offices,'' said college spokesman Steve Standerfer. ``The state has changed the rules. Projects with local funding will get higher priority.''

The exact amount of the bond and the projects it would fund would be determined prior to a summer vote by the board to put the bond on the ballot.

In one scenario presented at the meeting Friday of college trustees, staffers suggested a $118.5 million bond issue done in four stages over a 10-year period.

That amount was based on the college's priority list for construction projects and includes about $40 million to establish the first phase of a Palmdale campus, a project that has been on hold because of a lack of funding.

The state Chancellor's Office estimates there are $16 billion in unmet needs in the state's community college system and that, at the most, it will be able to meet about 25 percent of that need.

Under new state rules, projects seeking funding will be graded on a 200- point system with up to 50 points being awarded if there is local funding. The rest of the points will be based on factors such as available space, enrollment growth and future needs.

Antelope Valley College is also experiencing growth from two sources - the so-called Tidal Wave II phenomenon, in which the children of the baby boom generation are pouring into public schools, and from the fact the Antelope Valley holds a huge portion of the undeveloped land in Los Angeles County, making it the likely point of future growth.

Spring enrollment at the school shot to 12,000 students this spring, up 1,000 students from last year.

``We've been seeing incredible growth and we can expect that to continue,'' Standerfer said.

Antelope Valley College also has another issue in that most of the campus is 40 years old.

Campus officials are considering conducting a poll, possibly as early as April, to measure the support the college has among voters and whether a bond would be practical.

A campaign for such a bond measure is estimated to cost about $200,000, which under state law would have to be privately funded.

``We've got to do this,'' said board member Steve Buffalo. ``The state is bailing out on what used to be their responsibility.''

Community college districts throughout the state are looking at similar actions. Last year, five districts had bond issues pass, including a $1.2 billion bond by the Los Angeles Community College District.

Fourteen other districts have bond measures up for a vote on March 5.